Report: Nationals will host 2015 All-Star Game

Still basking in the afterglow of drafting Bryce Harper first overall and watching Stephen Strasburg's sparkling debut in a 48-hour span, the Nationals may be adding to the most momentous week in their history.

The Nationals have wanted to host baseball's summer showcase since the opening of Nationals Park in 2008. Baseball often rewards the All-Star Game to cities with new stadiums, and a new ballpark in the nation's capital would seem an ideal candidate in the league's eyes. Washington D.C. last hosted baseball's All-Star Game in 1969, when it was played at RFK Stadium.

Part of me wants to jump up and down with excitement at the thought of the All-Star Game at Nats Park...and the other part is wondering if I should maybe take that entire week off from work, or at least arrange to telecommute.

1. He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
2. He is not the winning pitcher;
3. He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched; and
4. He satisfies one of the following conditions:
1. He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning
2. He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
3. He pitches for at least three innings

When Perez entered the game, the Nats had the bases loaded, and were down by 5 runs. So the tying run was on deck. Zimmy grounded into a double play to end the inning.

If the economy hadn't tanked and the development around the stadium had happened at a faster pace, the Nats would have gotten the game sooner. 2015 gives the area around the stadium time to get set. Who wants to enjoy that beautiful stadium with that concrete plant right there!

2016 is so far away that we have no idea what teams will be the ones players want to play for. The Yanks could be in a circa 1980's slump and the Nats could be coming off a World Series win...seems that Strasburg would probably want to remain adorned with the curly W in that instance, wouldn't it? I think that you'll also see the Lerners start to pony up some coin now that doing so on one or two players could conceivably improve the team a ton.

I guess those who think that Strasburg will jump ship for the Yanks are remembering Mike Mussina. I do not believe Stephen Strasburg can possibly opt for free agency before 2017 at the earliest. He is eligible for ARBITRATION, not free agency, in 2014.

The Mussina case, remember, involved Peter Angelos, who is nobody's favorite owner, and an Orioles team that had future, long-term failure written all over it at the time. Ted Lerner is not Peter Angelos -- for one thing he has a LOT more money -- and he knows how many butts Strasburg puts into his seats. He isn't going to let him go.

I don't know what the Nats' atmosphere will be like in 2017, but I'm pretty sure that they have become a team that a lot of free agents now want to sign with. Unlike the late '90s Orioles, the Nats have future success written all over them.

@TheOneWhoHurtsMost, you are really being quite the sour pickle today, aren't you?

Strasburg's delayed start in the bigs this year was predicated on extending the team's control of him for as long as possible. It'll be until 2016 at least.

Why on earth are you anticipating the Nats' trading him before then? I now we've only seen one start, but he looks like the real deal, and the organization has so far been very, very careful with him. No reason to think they won't in the future. He's their bread and butter.